The Madness and the Cure
by VesperChan
Summary: They were called mad by society because they were artists. What society didn't know was that they were already mad, and that their art was the only thing that kept them sane. SakuraSasoriDeidara Lime
1. Beer and Cigarets

**The Madness and the Cure**

_Pairings_: SasoriSakura with a bit of SakuraDeidara  
_Disclaimer_: I don't own Naruto.  
_Dedication_:Gigicerisier  
_Warning_:No on will be in character, so if you actually prefer that, you are free to read the manga. You should know me better than that by now. There will be lime in later chapters.  
_Full summery:_ She comes home from work to an apartment that smells of and booze. Paint brushes clutter the sink in place of dirty dishes and no one seems to spend any time on anything other than art. He works with clay, bring life to the dirt, she writes her art, and he carves it. They were called mad by society because they were artists. What society didn't know was that they were already mad, and that their art was the only thing that kept them sane.

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**Imagination does not breed insanity.  
Exactly what does breed insanity is reason.  
Poets do not go mad; but chess players do.  
Mathematics go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom.**

**-G.K. Chesterton**

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Warm breath met cold night air in a puff of white that rose and died right before her listless eyes. The unlit cigaret dangled from her limp fingers, having been there now for the past three hours. She was trying to quit, but every now and then she let herself indulge with this one sinful pleasure. She didn't want to break tonight, but the white clouds before her eyes were starting to wear away her ever wavering will.

A couple passed in front of her, trying their best to avoid her drugged appearance, obviously thinking there was something louche about her and the shady way she sat. She didn't blame them, considering how late it was and where she was. The bar she had planned on visiting was only two blocks down, though it's drunks and druggies would often run by calling out things they would regret after the hangover.

Tonight was a friday, so plenty of people were off from work and partying it out with like minded friends. She had decided to avoid that place tonight.

Twirling her cigaret around in her fingers once more, she stuck the stick of tobacco between her lips and held it there with here teeth. The taste was there, teasing her, but she resisted. The drug store wouldn't let her walk in with a lit smoke, and she was really craving some beer right now. The smell was driving her insane when she couldn't taste it.

She pat the seat of her skinny jeans, not enjoying how sore she was after three hours of sitting on a street bench. She wasn't wearing a jacket like most people this hour, choosing to instead show off her pale arms and the fishnet gloves that made most people on the street avoid her at this hour. She shivered lightly against the cold air, but shrugged it off, using mind over matter.

A drunk across the street called out to her with slurred words, offering her something along the lines of a 'good time' or something else that was equally smutty and lousy. Sakura ignored him easily enough, even though it unnerved her that he had ben watching her and waiting fro her to get up from her seat to call out to her.

Turning her back on the bar, she trekked the four blocks to the StreetMart were they were still selling beer at this hour. The girl behind the counter spared her a lazy glance, but didn't say anything until Sakura was at the counter with her six pack, flashing her ID and setting down the money. Taxes on this stuff were going to drive her broke if she didn't make some more money soon. Between the beer and the smokes she was bleeding dry.

The check out chick said something about coming back soon, but they both knew no one was paying attention to weightless words like that.

With no where else to go at this hour, she left the sidewalk and cut behind some houses till she was at that kiddy park she could have sworn was the same one that she had played on when she was eight. They all seemed to look the same to her now. Pulling out her lighter, she let the flames dance up in front of her face to kiss the end of her cigaret, setting it off.

She set her beer down in front of her as she slid into a picnic table littered with graffiti and breathed out. This would probably be where she spent the night. There was no home for her, not anymore. But that's okay, because she chose this life.

Her parents were politicians and didn't want someone like her throwing dirt on their reputation. Having an artist as a daughter? Was there no greater shame for those two unfaithful whores. They bribed her with money if she moved out and lived on her own, and she gladly accepted. Anything was better than the verbal abuse she had to put up with them and all the shrinks that tried to fix her. They had stopped sending her money last month and so she had to move out of her apartment.

"What? You can't live off your finger paintings?"

"Being a novelist is like being a idiot. No one will respect you when you try and fail for something like that."

Her mother and father's words played over and over again in her head, not much less painful than a rusty nail being hammered into her skull. Who did they think they were, talking about the ideal life when they hated each other, and only stayed together because it was a good public image. They only had kids because it made them look good, and even then Sakura had her doubts about really being her father's daughter. They were both as faithful as Bill Clinton.

A bummblebe yellow 1969 Camero with black racing stripes down the hood, pulled up behind Sakura, lighting up everything behind her with it's headlights. She didn't bother to turn around, already knowing who it was. He had been perusing her relentlessly with his insane requests for quite a while now. The lights went out and the engine died. She heard a car door open and then close, and she knew someone was already out.

"Can't you see I'm trying to sleep like a bum in peace, here?" Sakura asked, feeling the male sit down across from her, rocking the picnic table with the unsettled weight.

The irascible blond who always seemed to be ready to fight, seemed strangely serene tonight as he reached for a beer from her pack and opened it with his teeth. "You don't have to be a bum, remember? Don't complain about stuff you can fix, un."

Sakura looked up and glared at Deidara, her childhood friend who was also an artist. The only differences were that he specialized in clay art and he had a job...a _good_ _paying_ one. It was something that always stood out whenever they met. He was more talented and dedicated so of course his art would sell better. "Once I get a job I'll find my own place and fix this mess myself. I don't need you help."

"Don't you, un?"

Sakura glared at him icily, but he just continued to smile that cheeky, rakish, know it all type of smile, never once wavering. "I hear prostitution is always good business."

Deidara's grin falter and was replaced by a stern edged frown. He knew it was a joke, but still it unsettled him to hear those words coming out of her mouth. "Stop talking shit like that when we both know your still a virgin, damn it."

"And you know that how?" she teased with as straight a face as she could muster.

Deidara was not amused. "Come live with me."

"No."

"You can't survive like this on your own! At least not happily."

"I don't need your charity, Deidara. And even if I did you're still living in that condo with your friend. I don't want to live with two other guys."

"Why not? You know me like a brother and you've met Sasori once or twice. He's really not such a bad guy once you get to know him. Come on Sakura, stop being a stubborn bitch and wake up. You're living like a bum in kiddy parks with beer and cigarets. When was the last time you slept in a bed? Anything would be better than this."

When Sakura still looked liked she was about to decline Deidara pulled out his ace in the hole-knowing full well she wouldn't be able to refuse him. "I'll let you use my studio and my art supplies whenever you want. You can start writing again and I'll help you get a publisher if you want."

Sakura growled, and glared at her friend for saying what he said. Taking a long drag that had smoke flying up in her face, she turned towards her beer and pulled out one for herself, biting the cap off with her teeth just like Deidara had. She was the one that had taught him how to do that, after all. "Nothing is that good, Deidara."

"It is if you want it to be, un."

"What would I have to do? Ther's got to be a catch."

"Marry me?"

"A _plausible_ catch, wacko."

Deidara pouted, discouraged with her willingness to take him seriously whenever he brought up the prospect of advancing their relationship. Was it too much for her to see him as a serious partner for her. He could provide for her just fine and he knew he could make her happy. "How about a dinner that's not take out or instant every once in a while. I'm a guy remember, I can't cook worth shit for the life of me."

"What about the chores like laundry and cleaning?"

"We have a maid for that."

Sakura made a face before taking a very unladylike swing of her beer. "What are you, like fucking rich?"

"Sort of, but it's not because of me. Sasori is the one that brings in the heavy dough. His grandma is still alive so she pays for us sometimes too." Deidara saw that hesitation crawl back into her eye at the mention of Sasori's name and he hastened to fix that. "But he's almost never there, so you don't have to worry about that guy, un."

"Still..."

"Oh come on Sakura. Don't you want to write again?"

She paused, her beer at her lips and her cigaret dangling from her free hand. She looked over at Deidara who looked ever so hopeful and the down at the beer and smoke that she was indulging herself with. She was going to end up killing herself this way if the neighborhood bangers didn't screw her brain out with a gun first. She wasn't stupid, just...proud and stuck up and damn if she knew the rest. She would be a fool to pass up an opportunity like this once again, and she doubted it would ever come again.

But then again, there was the issue of Deidara himself. She didn't mind living with this Sasori guy so much as long as he kept to himself and didn't bother her like Deidara said he wouldn't. That wasn't the problem. But her life long blond friend was another story. Living with him would surly push them closer together and she knew when that happened she would have to push Deidara away and break his heart all over again.

She wasn't oblivious like some sixteen year old high school girl. She knew Deidara liked her in that way and she knew she didn't feel that way about him. He got light and happy whenever they were around and he always seemed to be looking for an excuse to touch her, hold her hand, stay with her longer or keep her close. She didn't feel anything when they were together, or at least nothing more than friendship. More like a brother than anything, she couldn't possibly think about him in that way.

Once when they were a few years younger he had gotten drunk and confessed everything to her. He kissed her deeply before passing out and so she knew that she felt nothing for him. It wasn't any different than having your best friend kiss you after coming home from a trip or something. No sparks, no butterflies, no nothing. There was no love from her, even though she knew it was eating him up inside.

Did she want to really do this and possibly lead him on? They would be living under the same roof so who knew what would happen. What about Sasori? If he was there Deidara certainly wouldn't try anything. Not as long as that third party was in the next room over, no matter how much he wanted to.

Sasori... That name really rang a bell in her head. She had met him twice in her life, but both times stuck out in her life. Unlike Deidara, Sasori was calm, collected, and serious for the most time. He was taller than Deidara too, with semi long messy red hair that matched his wine colored eyes and tickled his neck. He didn't talk much, or so she had been told, but both times she had seen him, she found him to be a great source for conversation. Maybe that was because they were both artists with similar views.

"Please Sakura," Deidara asked, once again.

Sakura looked up at him, broken out of her thoughts that seemed to wander a bit too much for a night like tonight. She sighed and ran a hand through her uneven pink locks, hating how they were in need of another shower. "You owe me a beer anyway so I guess I can try it out for a while."

That was three weeks ,

Five days,

And sixteen hours ago...

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Before you come to kill me for starting another story, let me just say this is practically done and I was originally going to make it a oneshot, but at the last minuet broke it up and decided to feed it out to you guys as chapters. There's going to anywhere from three to five chapters before I finish this so it's not that bad. This is just something to keep you happy while I work on my other stories and the other stuff around my contest. What? You haven't heard about that? You should go check that out.

Thanks for reading, and as always...._**REVIEW**_

Vesper chan


	2. Let me be our Armor

**The Madness and the Cure**

_Pairings_: SasoriSakura with a bit of SakuraDeidara  
_Disclaimer_: I don't own Naruto, but it owns me.  
_Dedication_:Gigicerisier  
_Warning_:No on will be in character, so if you actually prefer that, you are free to read the manga. You should know me better than that by now. There will be lime in later chapters.  
_Full summery:_ She comes home from work to an apartment that smells of and booze. Paint brushes clutter the sink in place of dirty dishes and no one seems to spend any time on anything other than art. He works with clay, bring life to the dirt, she writes her art, and he carves it. They were called mad by society because they were artists. What society didn't know was that they were already mad, and that their art was the only thing that kept them sane.

* * *

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**Imagination does not breed insanity.  
Exactly what does breed insanity is reason.  
Poets do not go mad; but chess players do.  
Mathematics go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom.**

**-G.K. Chesterton**

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"Sakura here is the manuscript you wanted."

Sakura looked up from her tattered converse to see Sasori standing in the hallway, holding onto a pile of papers she had been looking for. Shrugging out of her shoes, she used her hips to push the front door shut before having to kick it all the way closed. Down to her socks she skipped over to her friend and gratefully collected her long lost manuscript. "Thanks for finding this, Sasori. Where was it?"

"Deidara's room, where else?" the tall red head calmly answered.

Hearing this, Sakura couldn't help but growl under her breath. Deidara was being a pest again, in attempts to get closer to her. At least that was the excuse he gave whenever he was caught. At times like these Sakura was beginning to doubt it was such a good idea to agree to move in with him. It seems like it was everyday he came to her begging to spend time together, even if it was just in front of the television watching old anime movies. Not that she minded such movies, but...

Sasori noticed her disturbed expression and let a calming hand rest a top her shoulder. "Are you okay, Sakura? Deidara isn't being too pushy, is he?"

She smiled. "It's nothing I can't handle, thanks for asking though."

"I'll be working in my room if he becomes too much for you."

She nodded, knowing she would be safe with him, since she had gone to hide out in his room with him more than once when Deidara got too clingy. "Thanks again, but I got to unwind a bit. I know it's only part time, but working at the pub is tiring."

"You wouldn't have to work if you didn't want to. I seriously don't know when you sleep. If you're not there, you're either writing or painting. You need to let both your body and mind rest every now and then."

Sakura waved him off, disappearing up the floating steel stairs that led to the second floor. Turning around halfway she called back down in a playful manner. "I'll rest once I become famous and have so much money that I don't know what to do with it."

Sasori opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it when he saw that she was already out of sight, behind closed door, probably getting ready for a shower.

Before they could start up again, he forced himself to not thick of Sakura in such situations. It would only make him restless for the rest of the day.

Still....he ran his thumb over his lower lip as thoughts of Sakura filled up his mind and turned his face red. It's not like he had enough will power to stop thinking about her. If he did, he would have squashed such thoughts the first time they met, almost a year ago. Yes, that's right. Sasori has been thinking of Sakura like this for almost a year now. Eleven long agonizing months and six days, not that he was keeping track or anything.

It was at one of Deidara's parties. At first he had though the two were dating since she was all the dumb blond would talk about. He was surprised with the answer to his question once he inquired after their relationship. '_Just childhood friends_' didn't sound like something Deidara was too proud about. Sasori knew his friend wanted more with this girl he had yet to meet and was intrigued. Maybe that was when it started, when this bloody awful heart disease began to fester deep within his chest. It was just a small spawn then, but it grew and blossomed once he saw her, and then saw her art.

She herself looked to be-as cliche as it sounded-a piece of art, perfectly proportioned. If he held her, he was sure she would fit just right against his chest, as if they were meant to be. She came in the backdoor with a painted canvas of a mountain landscape complete with dragons and hidden hermit homes, carved into the rocks. She specialized in fantasy landscapes it seems. They were timeless she told him, after he asked. Fairtales were always around and would continue to linger well after she was dead and gone.

That's when he really noticed his heart beating too fast for it's own good, or was it when Deidara walked into the room and jumped on her, swallowing her up in a hug that just screamed 'obsessive lover.' No... That was when Sasori's heart _hurt_. Seeing the blond pouring out such obvious affection made something twist and churn in his gut. Why did he feel this way now?

He knew his friend liked her well before Sasori had ever laid eyes on her and he knew it was wrong to be feeling this way for your friend's girl, but he couldn't help it. And besides, he learned that she was dating some other guy named Sasuke at the time. Deidara didn't seem to mind too much, though he was very vocal about how he though they should break up, saying that it wouldn't last since that guy was such a player or something like that.

Just like Deidara had warned, Sasuke hurt Sakura with a nasty breakup and so came the second time the two met. She had her beer with her, even though she was only nineteen and still too young to purchase the drink, legally. Sasori stayed for most of the night, but was the first to fall asleep, not having a very strong hold over his liquor. Sakura and Deidara were still up last he remembered, and both on the verge of going crazy drunk.

Well, Deidara was, Sakura just looked pissed at everything, not drunk.

The front door opened and Sasori turned to See Deidara tumble in, looking bushed. His hair was a mess, with loose strands falling out of the tight braid he had put it in for the business meeting. The blond dropped his briefcase by the door and kicked off his shoes, not caring where they landed. There was a small cake box in his hands that had cookies from the Italian bakery down the street. They were Sakura's favorite.

"Is Sakura home yet, un?" he asked, worn and weary.

"She just got back, but she might be sleeping," Sasori answered, hoping that would deter his friend from chasing after the young woman.

Sasori was disappointed to see that instead of heeding his words, the bond idiot perked up and smiled. "Ah, she beat me home then! I'm going to go greet her."

"Deidara I don't think that's suc-"

"Sakura, I brought home desert!"

Sasori frowned, settling for fisting his hands under his sleeves and bitting the inside of his cheek. He couldn't see, but he sill somehow knew that the tautly stretched skin over his knuckles was a bright shade of white. He watched Deidara skip into Sakura's room, not bothering to knock or anything.

Sasori growled, turning away, slipping back into his room where the lights were all off. Flipping a switch, he crossed over to the studio part of his room where he worked on his woodcarvings and stopped in front of a tall covered one. Dragging the sheet away, he was faced with his latest creation and current obsession. Sakura stared back at him from her wooden prison, smiling coyly in a very flirtatus, un-Sakura like manner.

Relaxing a bit, he ran his hands over the lines and smooth edges of her face, lingering a bit too long on the lips. He should feel guilty about lusting after his best friend's love intrust like this but he couldn't help turning into another Pygmalion. And it's not like Deidara never sculpted likeness of Sakura. The only difference was that Deidara always blew his up, claiming they could never compare to the original.

Looking at his copy, Sasori couldn't help but agree. Scowling, he lashed out and smashed the carving to he floor, sending a split down her face, but doing no more damage than that. There on the floor, she looked pitiful and the only thing he could do to stop those eyes from invading his mind was let the white sheet fall back over her face. Still, he knew her eyes would haunt his mind once he went to sleep.

'_Damn_...'

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"Sakura, love!" Deidara called out in a sing song voice, stepping into her room with his treats in hand. Absently he reached up and pulled out the cord that kept his hair braided and let it all slowely fall out into a river of seemingly pale gold. It was one of the few things that turned her on, he knew, so he would always try and use that to his advantage.

"Sakuraaaaa, I brought snacks!"

No one replied.

"Sakura...?"

Still nothing.

Frowning, he set her cookies down on her desk, cloest to the door and had a look around. He knew she was hope from the discarded purse that lay opened upon her bed, it's contents spilling out in a messy manner. And then there were her socks there on the floor next to her jeans and her shirt and her br-

_'Oh my Gawd she's naked!_' Deidara mentally screamed, going into shock as his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

That's when he noticed it, the sound of running water coming from her bathroom. She must be taking a shower, then. That didn't give him much time then!

Quickly he ran to the side of her bed and began to shove everything that littered to surface back into her purse before he shoved that too under her bed. The sound of running water stopped and Deidara froze, listening for anything he could hear. He could have sworn he heard her steep out from the shower box and walk across the tiled floor in her bare feet and the though of what she must look like sent shivers through his body as a dopey grin seized his face.

Shit, time was running out! Getting back to work, he undud his white dress shirt and tossed it aside before climbing onto her bed to arrange himself among the pillows in what he hoped was an exotic and alluring pose. He was thinking over possibly ditching his pants too when the door opened, spilling light into the room. A silhouette against that light seemed to be an angel with dripping hair wearing only her panties and a loose nightie top that came down to lightly brush against her navel. She was surprised and barely dress and wet. If that didn't turn him on he didn't know what did.

She frowned at what she saw, knowing fully well what she wore and who was leering at her. This was one of the reasons she didn't want to move in with this guy. "Deidara, what do you think you're doing here in my room?"

He thanked God for his gift of quick recovery, otherwise he would just be a stuttering mess in front of this unearthly sight. "I though you would be lonely in here all by yourself and decided to give you some company for the night. You know, help you _relax_, un."

She was not amused. Crossing her arms over her well developed chest she shifted weight from one foot to the other and glared at her stupid idiot of a childhood friend. "Cut the bullshit Deidara and get out of my room. I'm tired and sleepy and I really want to go to bed, but can't do that with you in it."

"Why not? There's plenty of room for two, I made sure of that when I had this bed put in here."

"Deidara, get out." she was really starting to get annoyed. No, she was well passed annoyed by now. She was frustrated and angry and bitchy and she needed her damn beauty sleep now before she passed out. Sasori was right about her not getting enough sleep and she knew it, so she treasured every moment of rest she could afford and didn't like to have any of it wasted, even if it was only a few seconds.

"But Sakura, it's cold and you might need some body heat," he whined, pouting ever so cutely, she hated to admit. No-he wasn't sexy! He wasn't, he wasn't, he wasn't he wasn't....

"You have thirty three seconds to get out before I come over there and rip you out and throw you down the stairs myself," she bit out, turning her back on him to open her closet and look for a robe to wear in case she really did need to carry out her threat.

She heard him move off her bed and though that was going to be it for tonight but was proven wrong when she felt him come up behind her and trap her in his arms. She gasped as her body reacted in pleasure without her consent. "Deidara! What the hell?! Get off me you fucking bas-"

His fingers were in her mouth playing with her tongue like only a sculptor could. She couldn't scream, she couldn't yell, she couldn't even talk because before she knew what she was doing, she was running her tongue back and forth over his fingers, playing with them. It was if her body had a mind of its own. She tried to fight it, but his lips were on her shoulder and his other hand was at her hips, guiding them back to press up against him. He shifted ever so slightly and she gasped, feeling him pant against her exposed shoulders.

His fingers stilled on her lips as he fought to stay standing from the ecstasy he was feeling and that gave her just enough time to speak. "D-Dei-Deidara..." she gasped feeling her heart run away and her body heat up without her permission. She wasn't aroused, she wasn't aroused, she wasn't enjoying this she most certainly didn't want him to do more!

"Say...say it," he hoarsely growled, his voice deep, rough and dark against her trembling flesh. He traced circles into her hips before ghosting down to tickle her thigh with spider like fingers. "My name, _Sa-ku-ra_. Say it..."

She didn't want to, but when he arched against her, causing himself more pleasure than her, she couldn't help it, even though this was only light teasing, she knew. "Deidara!"

There was still fabric between them, but he moved and was grinding into her from behind making it obvious how much he wanted her. She felt his lips dribble kisses onto her neck before he licked her from shoulder to ear. She reached back with her arms, but the felt like led and could do little but grab his own hips and try to push them away. He misunderstood this as coaxing and forced her to bend and tilt beneath him as he leaned forward.

She collapsed to the floor, her mind and body at war with one another now. She wasn't an animal without any thought. She was a human being with a mind and a will and she didn't need this-even if she was twenty one and still pure. She wanted it to stay that way and she wasn't going to have that changed tonight by her best friend. Though half of her cried out in agony for the loss, she elbowed Deidara hard in the gut and pivoted out of his hold as he crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud.

Gasping hard she back away, latching onto her bed post for support as Deidara began to recover. He looked up at her through the parts in his _damed,_ luscious blond hair and shot her the most pitiful needy look she though she had ever seen. It tore at her heart like the relentless hands of a demon, but she refused to give in now. There was no way he was getting what he wanted from her. She glared at him and if possible, he looked even more hurt than before.

"S-Sakura I'm so sorry, un...I-I didn't mean to.... I don't know what came over me," he lamely explained, still on the floor. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please don't..."

"You're insane," she hissed, collapsing against the post before sliding down to the floor. He wouldn't try anything now so she knew she was safe for the moment. He was calming down, she could see. That's good at least.

"I'm an artist, of course I'm insane, Sakura," he laughed through a sad smile-forcing himself to look at the woman he loved so much yet hurt.

Before he could say anything more there was a sharp knocking on the door and soon Sasori's concerned voice filled up the silence. "Sakura, are you okay in there? I heard a loud thud and it sounded like it came from your room."

Sakura looked up to the door really fast before snapped her head back to lock eyes with Deidara. He didn't look guilty because of Sasori, rather he looked annoyed that he was there. Probably was, considering this was his house. For some reason Sakura didn't want Sasori to see her and misinterpret the situation she found herself in. She was wearing close to nothing and Deidara was in here with her, without a shirt, looking like he just ran a marathon.

What would anyone think if they walked in on that?

She must have been too slow for the man who was known for having no patience, since he twisted open the knob on her door and pushed it open a crack. "Sakura? I'm coming in so I hope you don't mind-" his words died on his lips when he saw Deidara glaring at him from on the floor and Sakura crumpled up behind the post of the bed, looking like a scared rabbit. His blood colored eyes narrowed dangerously on his friend who happened to be missing a shirt. "And what are you doing in here at this hour?"

"Keeping Sakura company, un," he lamely replied, not really caring when it came to another man. If it was Sakura he would beg and plead and apologize till his lips fell off, but it _wasn't_ Sakura talking to him right now. It was another guy.

"I don't fell in the mood to deal with you smart remarks, Deidara," Sasori calmly stated as he crossed the room to where Sakura sat huddled. "Sakura...? Sakura are you alright?" He reached out to push some hair out of her eyes only to mentally kick himself when she looked up him with those trembling eyes of hers. It was so corny but it was really too much for him to handle.

"I'm fine," she breathed out, looking away as if she were ashamed.

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Deidara growled from behind them and slapped the floor, trying to gain their attention. "I'm right here, and I didn't do anything! I would never hurt Sakura, you bastard."

"That is obviously not the case here, Deidara. Weather you meant to or not, you scared Sakura and hurt her emotionally. I'm going to take her to my room for tonight and keep watch over here, there. Don't try to stop me."

The blond stood up and was about to say something when Sasori turned and cut him a chilling glare that ensured silence. That done, Sasori lifted Sakura into his arms, folding her like a doll so that her legs fell over his arms. She reached out to wrap an arm around his neck on reflex, embarased for doing so.

"That's alright, Sasori. I'm fine, really. I'm don't need that and Deidara didn't really do anything. I'll be okay by myself," she explained, feeling it wasn't nessiary to fall asleep in his room, curled up at his side like a lover once more. He said he didn't mind, but it irritated her in a way she couldn't describe.

Sasori walked past Deidara and out of the room, ignoring her feeble protests. "Hush now, I told you I don't mind and that it's not a bother, didn't I? I trust you Sakura, but I don't trust him. Deidara is my friend, but he is also a guy so I know what's running through his head right now...and his pants. The only reason I didn't deck him right there is because I know he really cares for you and would not consciously do anything to hurt or harm you."

"I know that," Sakura whispered, looking down at herself, not daring to stare up the steep to where she knew Deidara was watching hem from or even look up into the eyes of her newfound friend. "I know he's earnest-if he wasn't he wouldn't be this persistent, but I don't know how many times I have to push him away before one of us breaks."

They were in Sasori room now, and he was laying her down in his bed, getting ready to follow after her, never mind that she was still in her underwear and all he was wearing was a pair of pajama pants that hung loosely around his hips. "Breaks? As in you falling in love with him?" Why did he sound so concerned?

"Yeah, I guess so. I feel more for him than I did years ago, but not like a lover, not yet anyway. Who knows the interior of one's heart? I can't safely say I'll never fall in love with him, since it's a possibility, but right now I don't feel for him like he does for me and I don't know if he can take more rejection."

"He won't become suicidal, Sakura. As long as you are a live he will continue to live," Sasori explained, sitting next to her as she huddled in his blankets.

"Haven't you heard his rants about art, the ever fleeting beauty. That sounds like suicide material to me."

The red haired male chuckled to himself, brushing her bangs our of her eyes once more. "That's true, he's an idiot, but fleeting for him is the lifespan of a human. He's talked to me about that. We will all die one day and be gone and that will be the completion of his art, he says. He'll wait to die, since a human life is so small and fleeting in comparison to the whole of history. I wouldn't worry about him. Rather you have me concerned."

She looked up at her friend was half lidded eyes, feeling tired already. "Hmm, why's that?"

"If he doesn't break, you think you will, and falling in love with that guy wouldn't be the best thing for you. Sure he would treat you well and take care of you, but there is probably someone else out there that _you_ love and than _you_ want. You should wait for that guy."

"Maybe..."

Sasori let his hands weave into her hair, rubbing circles into her scalp, relaxing her and encouraging sleep. Leaning down to her side he humed and then began to whisper her a lullaby, knowing she probably wouldn't be able to remember this in the morning. Just as well. "Let me take the fall, let me take the blame. Let me carry you from hell to home again. Let me walk to you when your legs are weak. Let me find the words for you when you can't speak....Let me be your armor, let me be your shield, let me take away the pain you feel-your armor... Let me be the light that guides your way through darkest night... Let me be your armor..."

She stirred under his hands before relaxing, letting her body go limp as sleep came closer and closer to claiming her. It was only a matter of seconds now, she was so exhausted. Work, art, and now Deidara was stressing her out. The fabric of his sheets wasn't clenched so tightly anymore and so Sasori continued to sing.

"Let me take the blows.... that were meant for you. Let me help you with the trials you're going through. Let me keep you safe... from the world outside. Let me wipe away the tears that fill your eyes....Let me be your armor, let me be your shield, let me take away the pain you feel-your armor... Let me be the light that guides your way through darkest night... Let me be your armor..."

She murmured something Sasori couldn't make out before drifting off completely. She was asleep now and he knew she could no longer hear him. Still he continued to sing for her, his hands still intwined into her wet, silk like hair, his lips hovering over her tempting skin. He really wanted to kiss her and hug her and call her his. He wanted it so much that it hurt him every time he saw her and remembered that she wasn't his.

Maybe tonight he would be forgiven for just one kiss.

Just this once.

"Let me keep you from experience you need. Let me bind you with my selfishness and greed. Let me stifle you let me have control. Let me smother every aspect of your soul... Let me be your armor, let me be your shield, let me take away the pain you feel-your armor... Let me be the light that guides your way through darkest night... Let me be your armor..."

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Pygmalion: A man who fell in love with a statue in greek mythology.

Yay! Finally some Sasori Sakura.

Same **AN** as before.... Before you come to kill me for starting another story, let me just say this is practically done and I was originally going to make it a oneshot, but at the last minuet broke it up and decided to feed it out to you guys as chapters (so I could get more reviews). There's going to anywhere from _four_ to five chapters before I finish this so it's not that bad. This is just something to keep you occupied while I work on my other stories and do other stuff around my contest. What? You haven't heard about that? You should go check that out on my profile page.

Thanks for reading, and as always...._**REVIEW**_

Vesper chan


	3. Hunger

**The Madness and the Cure**

_Pairings_: SasoriSakura with a bit of SakuraDeidara  
_Disclaimer_: I don't own Naruto, but it owns me.  
_Dedication_:Gigicerisier  
_Warning_:No on will be in character, so if you actually prefer that, you are free to read the manga. You should know me better than that by now. There will be lime in later chapters.  
_Full summery:_ She comes home from work to an apartment that smells of and booze. Paint brushes clutter the sink in place of dirty dishes and no one seems to spend any time on anything other than art. He works with clay, bring life to the dirt, she writes her art, and he carves it. They were called mad by society because they were artists. What society didn't know was that they were already mad, and that their art was the only thing that kept them sane.

* * *

-

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**Imagination does not breed insanity.  
Exactly what does breed insanity is reason.  
Poets do not go mad; but chess players do.  
Mathematics go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom.**

**-G.K. Chesterton**

-

-

-

The next day Sakura was going to act cold towards Deidara and be mean to him for what he had done, but once she found the cookies in her room, all thoughts of payback were forgotten, and it was as if had never happened.

Not that this ticked Sasori off or anything, he was just concerned for Sakura's safety when she pranced around the blond, hormonal crazed artist in ways that would tempt any sane male. Her shirt was too tight today, and even though she wasn't going out, that didn't mean she could prance around the house in her pajama shorts, her _micro mini_ pajama shorts. If that didn't turn Deidara on it most certainly did so with Sasori, weather he wanted to admit it or not.

But of course, Deidara being Deidara, it wasn't long before that baka ended up doing something else that ticked her off. Sasori didn't catch all the details of it, but the next day he had caught Sakura throwing Deidara out of the downstairs bathroom with a fiery blush on her face and loose stand of hair sticking out every which way. She looked like she just came out of a wrestling match with a polar bear. The blond was chuckling to himself, with one hand to his face to control the trail of blood that snaked down from his nose, watching as Sakura slammed the door in his face, screaming something about how she knew it would turn out this way. When Sasori asked him about it, Deidara only replied with a drunken 'She so wants me' before skipping off to his room, high of his favorite drug.

The next day, Deidara's manager had come over and that was the last Sasori saw of the blond. Sasori did hear him screaming something about his life, Sakura, and (Sasori could have mistaken this part), hot tubs and champagne. At least Sasori hoped his misheard the last part.

"That matters not, now that he's not here," he mused to himself, a small smile finding it's way over his face.

Coming into the studio where Sakura was finishing up another one of her paintings, Sasori carried with him a glass of fresh lemonade and a hero sandwich. Sakura hadn't eaten anything since she started painting, and that was a very long time ago, considering that the canvas was bigger than her and that she was almost done. Just a few more details and it would be ready to sell. She was really eager to make some money on this one and it showed.

"Sakura," he called out, coming up behind her.

She stood with her legs spread firmly apart to lower her height and one arm was crossed behind her back for balance as she bent over her piece of art. "Hmmm?" She didn't turn around to look at him when she answered and Sasori doubted that she was really paying attention to him.

"You need to eat."

"I will."

"When?"

She waited a few minuets before replying and Sasori was afraid she hadn't hear him. "...I'll eat once I finish this here."

Sasori set the plate and glass down on a clear spot on the table closest to the door and crossed the room to stand behind her, far enough so that he wouldn't disturb her and close enough to make his presence known. "And how long will it take you to finish that? You haven't eaten in such a long time and that's why you're so skinny. All you do is smoke and work."

Sakura pulled away and set her brush down into the water dish. "I don't smoke that much, Sasori. I haven't touched a cig in over a week, you know.

"That's still too much for my tastes. You know what those things do to your lungs, right? Or do I have to take out the pictures again?"

Sakura made a face, wrinkling up her nose and gagging a bit as she remembered the pictures of a man's lungs after seven years of constant smoking. Sasori seemed bent on breaking her habit, even though it was a rare thing for her anymore. Ever since she started painting and writing, her smokes have gone untouched, and that's the way she wanted it to be. "No thank you, I've seen enough of that stuff, I don't need to see any more. 'Sides I've had water to keep me content. One or two days without food isn't so bad."

"Well if you're done then eat what I have made you, will 'ya?"

Sakura paused, reaching for a new brush when Sasori's words stopped her. As long as she kept herself fixed on her work and didn't think about food, it didn't bother her, but now that Sasori was bugging her about it...

**Growl**

"Damn it" she hissed, throwing her friend a sour look over her shoulder.

He held up her meatball hero and drink and smiled slyly over at her. "Do you want me to feed you, or are you going to be sensible and eat for yourself?"

"I'm not that brain dead," she grumbled, picking up the sandwich and ripping a large chunk off to chew, her cheeks flaring up momentarily in embarrassment.

Sasori took a seat next to her in one of the nearby chairs and picked at the chips that he had put next to the hero. He looked up at her though his eyelashes and couldn't help but feel better than he had walking into the studio. "Do you like it," he asked.

"I'm so hungry I can't really taste it, but yeah its real good. I didn't even notice I was this hungry till you came in with the food. Geez, there goes my concentration, thank you," she said, laughing to herself before taking another large bite.

Sasori chuckled to himself, watching her eat. She was a funny one. "You are ever so welcome, dear. Deidara was worried about you too but didn't want to come in and disturb you, so it was left up to me to come in and save you. If it was left up to him, you would have probably died." He conveniently left out the part about Deidara not being in the house, not wanting to spend too much time speaking about that guy.

"I told you I was almost done, didn't I? A normal human can go forty days or something like that without food so one or two days isn't going to kill me."

"No, it's just tear up you insides and land you in the emergency room."

Sakura pounted cutely and looked away, obviously bested. "Whatever, you overact."

The two fell into a sort of comfortable silence, as she ate her food and he nibbled on her chips. Neither said anything for a while, though Sakura expected Sasori to pipe up with something any minuet now. She looked over at him, waiting, but he simply continued to nibble. It didn't look like he would be speaking up anytime soon. This was no fun.

"You know I wanted to be a doctor?"

Sasori choked on his chips, shocked at what he was hearing. He hit his chest with his fist in an attempt to clear the passageways that were otherwise blocked. Grunting, he sat back up and glared lightly at Sakura, who was smirking at his distress. "What did you say?"

"I used to want to be a doctor. Didn't you hear me?"

"Did you say that just so I would choke?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and finished off the last of her sandwich, licking off the juices that had dribbled onto her lips in a manner Sasori would describe as seductive. "Do I really look that stupid to you that me saying I wanted to be a doctor would surprise you? It's true, even if you want to laugh, I know it sounds stupid."

"It's not stupid," Sasori offered, looking away so that the blush on his cheeks could fade before she could spot it. "It just doesn't really suite your personality, I don't think."

"My personality? How so?"

Sasori chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? The girl who's always coming home with booze and some times and sneaks off to smoke on the balcony, even though she knows it's going to end up killing her or destroying her insides so much that it's painful to live?" He reached out to poke her stomach. "_This_ girl wants to be a doctor? You do know that those guys nag about your health non stop and make sure their patients aren't drinking as much as you or smoking at all."

"I wanted to be one before I started drinking or smoking, stupid. Like when I was little. I like helping people so...I don't know what I was thinking back then," she sighed, before picking up her glass of lemonade and chugging it down.

"Now _that_ sounds like Sakura. wanting to take care of people is in your personality. But first you need to start taking care of yourself."

"You sound just like Deidara, sometimes." Sakura rolled her eyes, setting the empty glass down next to the empty plate. When she saw that there were no chips for her, she didn't hold back her disapproving frown and glare combo. One measly sandwich after two days without eating wasn't going to fill her up. Sasori looked sheepish, since the last chip was still resting on his lips, broken off from the rest that was already in his mouth.

"I'll make you some more?"

"That sounds acceptable," she said, nodding. "That reminded me though, I meant to ask you when Deidara was coming home. He left yesterday didn't he?"

Damn, she noticed. "No, he left this morning but you probably didn-"

_Lost and insecureYou found me, you found me_  
_Lyin' on the floor Surrounded, surrounded_  
_Why'd you have to wait? Where were_-

Flipping out his LG Envy, Sasori answered the call, already knowing who it was from. "Hello?"

"Sasori, damn it, they tricked me!"

Sasori looked up at Sakura, smiled and turned away before answering. "Calm down Deidara. What do you mean they tricked you?"

"I'm in France! Paris I think, but I didn't know it till I got off the plane. They said it was just a few states over, and that I would be back for dinner, but they tricked me and now I can't come back till the damn shitty exhibit is over and-Gahhh I want Sakura! Can you put her on? I haven't talked to her in so long and I won't be able to see her for a few days."

Sasori looked up at Sakura who was back to cleaning her brushed on the other side of the room and then back at the phone in his hands. She probably didn't hear that and that was how it was going to stay. "Sorry Deidara, she's still painting and I don't want to disturb her. She's almost done though, maybe a few more hours." It was all lies of course, but Deidara wouldn't know.

"But I really want to speak to her! Can't she...Will you at least send me a photo or something? Maybe a recording, since it would make me so happy if I could just hear her voice."

"You have enough pictures on you own cellphone. Why do you need more?"

Deidara sounded like he was whimpering on the other line. "Sasori, they're going to find me, will you at least tell her I said hi?"

"I can do that."

_'But that doesn't mean I will._'

"Thanks man. That really-oh shit! NO! Neh-you freaking low assed shit hole. Don't pull the hair OW, OW! Okay I'm coming, Damn you! Just let me hang-" the line went dead. Sasori stared at his phone for a few moments before turning it off, deciding not to tell Sakura about any of this.

"Who was that Sasori?"

"A friend, nothing too important. Would you like to join me for some dinner?"

Sakura turned to look over her shoulder and smiled. There went the butterflies in his gut now, the damn critters wouldn't leave him alone, would they? "Yeah, sure. I'll be right there once I finish cleaning up in here."

Sasori stood and exited the studio , making his way for the kitchen when a though stopped him in his tracks and made his heart beat fast. Deidara wasn't coming home...for a very long time. He was all the way over in France and wouldn't be back for at least a day and a half. That gave him and Sakura plenty of uninterrupted _alone_ time together. Just them, only the two of 'em...nobody else.

The red head couldn't help but groan as his body tingled at the thought. Would he be able to help himself for such a long time with Sakura, knowing he could probably get away with anything for the next day and a half? Probally not...

_Sakura was on her knees and crawling towards him, rolling around in the bed, calling out his name in screams, squirming underneath him, reaching for his face with her hands before she brought her wet lips up to meet his._

"Sasori?"

"Gah!" he cried lightly, nearly jumping into the air at the contact. She was on his arm, looking up at him with one raised eyebrow and narrowed eyes, lips puckered ever so slightly to complete the picture of confusion. He hadn't expected her to sneak up on him like that, or even to be able to sneak up on him at all! Really, he was loosing it if little things like this were getting to him so much. He was acting like a damn, giddy school boy. "S-Sakura, yes? What was that?"

She still looked concerned, but must have pushed that away to concentrate on her question. "You said you wanted me to join you for dinner, did you want me to cook or did you have takeout in mind, cause I don't think you can cook, can you?"

Originally he had planned on just cooking something simple with instructions, since he didn't want her slaving over a hot stove of microwave after working for so long, but now he had a better idea. An idea that would keep these dirty, (_brilliant_) stupid thoughts from taking actions on their own. "Actually there was this really nice, privet place I though you would like t go visit. It's not too fancy, but it's something other than fast food and take out."

Sakura snorted, dropping her hand from his arm and give him a you-got-to-be-shitting-me sort of look. "A restaurant, me? You want to take me out now, of all times, Sasori?"

It was common knowledge among anyone and everyone who knew Sakura that she disliked anything fancy. Deidara said it had something to do with her family being politicians that forced her to fund raising parties and dress up events. She had stopped going once reporters started digging into her personal life and badmouthing her lack of an appropriate education. Her parents had tried to train her to be a doll for the press for them, but she rebelled and so they shut her out and denied her existence unless it seemed to further their gain. Still, she didn't hate fancy restaurants, only the ones her parents took her to.

"Yes, I would like that very much. What's so wrong with that?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his obvious obliviousness. "You got to be joking. Have you seen me lately? I don't exactly look dinner out ready," she said fingering one stay stand of frizzy hair that still had blue paint in it.

Sasori stood back and gave her a one over, still not understanding what she was being so uptight over. She looked beautifle, as usual. True, her hair was a mess, being tied back in a tight bun with paint specked over the strands that had fallen out, along with her shirt and face. And yeah, there were shadows under her eyes and she looked pale, but her eyes were still so bright and she looked better than Snow White ever did when she was pale. There was nothing really wrong with her that Sasori could see. She always looked so ravashi-radiant! He meant radiant! Yeah, ravishing wasn't a lie, but he wasn't thinking it.

"You look just fine, Sakura. You only need to take a quick shower and change cloths." It took every ounce of will power he possessed for him not to let the images in his head go crazy when he mentioned _shower_ and _changing cloths. _Was it always this hard to control his thoughts around her?

She paused, shifting weight from one leg to the other. "How fancy is this place?"

"They wouldn't like skinny jeans."

"Blah, does that mean I have to wear a dress?"

"I would like that," he said, his voice a note lighter. She growled in anger, and he laughed. "Yeah, it would be the safest thing to do either that or wear a skirt. I don't think I have ever seen a woman in there wearing pants, but then again I don't really notice those things."

"If it's that fancy, wouldn't we need reservations?"

Sasori smirked, showing off a racking smile that made Sakura's insides light. "I have connections, dear. Don't worry about that. Don't forget who you're talking to when you are with me."

Sakura threw her hands up in the air, palms forward in a sign of surrender, and laughed. "Fine, fine, I give up. Give me thirty minuets and I'll be ready."

"I have to wait that long?"

"Hey-you can't rush art!"

Sasori simply smiled up after her as she ran out of sight, behind closed bedroom doors.

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There's going to anywhere from _six_ to five chapters before I finish this so it's not _that_ bad. The next chapter-already written- will be up soon if you review. Yes, I am threatening you.

Thanks for reading, and as always....**_REVIEW_**

Vesper chan


	4. French

**The Madness and the Cure**

_Pairings_: SasoriSakura with a bit of SakuraDeidara  
_Disclaimer_: I don't own Naruto, but it owns me.  
_Dedication_:Gigicerisier  
_Warning_:No on will be in character, so if you actually prefer that, you are free to read the manga. You should know me better than that by now. There will be lime in later chapters.  
_Full summery:_ She comes home from work to an apartment that smells of and booze. Paint brushes clutter the sink in place of dirty dishes and no one seems to spend any time on anything other than art. He works with clay, bring life to the dirt, she writes her art, and he carves it. They were called mad by society because they were artists. What society didn't know was that they were already mad, and that their art was the only thing that kept them sane.

* * *

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**Imagination does not breed insanity.  
Exactly what does breed insanity is reason.  
Poets do not go mad; but chess players do.  
Mathematics go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom.**

**-G.K. Chesterton**

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Deidara ducked behind a plant with a slice of fluffy sponge cake in his hand, flipping through the photos on his phone with the other. His battery was dying, but he was still trying to get a call home and see if he could talk to Sakura. She had to pick up sooner or later, since he knew she hated going out into public and being seen.

He distinctly remembered more than once when she came back to her apartment, shivering and disgusted with herself because there were people who recognized her as her father and mother's daughter. The only good thing that came from times like that was the comfort she opened herself up to. Deidara tried to always be there for her when she was like that and it was annoying him that he wasn't there with her now.

"Sakuraaaa....I wanna see you..." he sighed, frowning as his phone dimmed and began to turn off due to lack of battery power. With a huff, he flipping his phone shut and took a large bite out of the cake he had in his hand. He was upset, and like most people when they were upset, he wanted to eat sweets. Eat sweets with Sakura, but since she wasn't there with him, he would just have to eat them all by himself.

Crumbs of golden white stuck to his face around his lips from when he had tried to force a rather large chunk of cake into his mouth. The only good thing about parties like these was the food. Even if it was for advertising his work, it wasn't worth getting molested by French women. If you think getting molested by French women isn't such a big deal, then it's obviously never happened to you.

He heard giggling from on the other side of the fake plant and crouched down, hiding the bulk of his frame behind the thickest part of the greenery. Peaking out he saw too overly gaudy women with loose, silken dresses that left little up to the imagination. They stopped right in front of him, and he almost passed out from having to hold his breath for such a long time, but eventually they found a new target to pry off of.

"God, I hate these kind of freaking parties. It doesn't help that I'm drop dead gorgeous either, no one else gets this sort of treatment aside from like...Johnny Depp. Poor guy."

"Did I hear a narcissist hiding in a corner and reading porn on his iphone?"

Deidara jumped in surprise, falling back on his buttocks. "Bloody hell, what are you doing here, Konan?"

The mature young woman huffed, flipping a stand of blue hair over her shoulder. "What do you think I'm doing here, you idiot?"

"Trying to find a rich husband who's about to die and leave you all his money?"

She smacked up over the head for that comment. "Is there not a sincere bone in your body, you bloody fool. Sometimes I wonder how you can manage something as simplistic as breathing with a brain like yours. You do know the reason you are here is because you skipped your last two, TWO, presentations in New York and Chicago. What were you doing that was so important for you to make such a huge mess for your manager?"

Deidara looked unaffected as he turned away and crossed his arms over his chest. He could feel his heart jump a bit in his chest when he thought back to his days with Sakura, but tried to keep any of that happiness from showing on his face. Konan was one of the last people on the planet that he wanted knowing about Sakura. Konan wasn't a threat, but she was a monopolizing mother bear that would surely ruin the majority of his plans for Sakura.

"It's really none of your business where I was, Konan. You don't buy anything from me."

"It has something to do with Sakura doesn't it?" Deidara choked and jumped a bit in his skin, causing Konan to smile something sinister like. "So these rumors I'm hearing about my baby shaking up with you and Sasori are true are they?"

"R-Rumors, what rumors are you talking about?" Deidara asked, looking away with a huff, trying to focus anger into his words so that it masked his perturbation. Konan didn't seem to be falling for any of it, having known Deidara since childhood.

"You're a horrible liar, you know that. I know Sakura is there now, stop denying it. Tell me what flat you are staying at so I can go visit."

Deidara make a face like he had just tasted something unpleasant, while he inwardly thanked God that he moved around so much and had four different flats he traveled to and from. The other three were being rented out, so he couldn't use any of those, but he wouldn't let Konan know any of that. "I'm not telling you. You have way too much work as it is, anyways, how do you think you'll be able to get away long enough to see Sakura?"

"I can make time."

"Like hell you will. If I am not mistaken, you are staying in France longer than I am. You think Pein is going to be happy if you just up an leave in the middle of something so delicate? Even if he does give you the go ahead to leave, it would be bad for you if a special order came in, like the one I can place," Deidara retorted, picking for himself a glass of pale colored Champaign from the tray of a passing butler. He looked it over, swished it around in it's glass and then took a swig of it, licking his lips after it had gone down.

Konan didn't say anything for a while, but she shifted her weight from one leg to the other and made a ticking sound with her tongue against the roof of her mouth, something she always did when she was thinking. "There's something different about you Deidara. You were always loud and you always argued, but you are a bit more-no, a _lot_ more defensive when we talk about Sakura. You get aggressive and threaten me and I know you are serious. What is it about her that does it to you? What makes you act so possessively?"

He huffed coarsely and glared at her in arrogance. "You think I know?"

"No, I didn't think you would." She lowered her eyes and sighed. "But, this makes me even more concerned."

"About what?" he asked, a little less rude to her.

"What will you do once she chooses someone else?"

The glass in Deidara's hand cracked from his tight grip as he brought the rim down so that he could look over it at his friend. His eyes, once so playful and whimsical now were the paragon of coldness, resembling very much two hard stones of deep Indigo. And if his eyes were frightening, and they were-very much so, then his voice was terror in its self as he answered. "Don't be absurd. That **_won't_** happen."

His glass shattered.

-

Thirty three minuets after Sakura had disappeared upstairs, the sound of high heels hitting wood brought Sasori out of his thoughts. Looking up he saw Sakura descend the last few steeps, her hair tied up high in a more elegant bun that was clipped back with feathered peacock clips. Her dress was a simply black piece that dipped down in a sharp V past her breasts, almost to her navel. A simple chain kept it from revealing anything more on accident. With shadowy make up to cover the evidence of her sleepless nights, her eyes seemed to stand out even more against everything; a brilliant murky green that held more appeal than the stained glass windows on a church.

Suddenly Sasori was having second thoughts about bringing this siren out in public.

Sakura looked Sasori over, letting her dyed red lips curve into a seductive smile. He didn't do a whole lot, but the slightest changes turned him into a seemingly different person. Sometimes it scared her when she saw how different a person he could be, but for the most part, his changes gave her a thrill. Like a fluttering bird had replaced her heart, she let her eyes roam over his body, much like he had with her.

"You look good, Sasori," she said, her voice a bit more smooth and sultry than he remembered it being.

"I didn't really do anything, at least not like you," he said, fingering his loose white dress shirt that hung two top buttons open. He wore black pants and a black blazer to tie off the outfit in a simple but elegant manner, keeping the young vibe going. He looked up at her and offered his hand for the last few stairs. "You look stunning, Sakura."

She took his hand and let him lead her to the door. "Thanks. I just hope I'm not overdoing it."

His mouth seemed a bit more dry then he remembered them being and his lips felt like they were cracking up, so he licked them and swallowed as he led her to the door where their coats hung. It was early winter, after all. "You're not overdoing it, don't worry. Here, let me get your coat for you."

Sakura waited as he came back with her coat, the only one that wasn't a pull over or a hoodie, and followed him out to the parking lot, where his orange red 2009 Dodge challenger awaited. He led her up to the door and opened it for her and did everything like a perfect gentleman should, making Sakura giggle. It wasn't something she was used to.

"Any clues as to where we are going?"

"None, dear. I like keeping an air of mystery around the evening."

"Not even a little one?"

He laughed, pulling out of the parking lot and down the road, breaking the speed limit for thirty something. "Alright, how about this? It's French."

"Oh wow, that really helps," she sighed, knowing fully well that there were three dozen different French restaurants she could be heading to.

"There aren't that many," he replied, cutting off a young couple that looked like wanna be gangsters. Sasori looked up into his rearview mirror to see the male giving him the finger.

"Bistrot Lepic, Café La Ruche, Citronelle, La Colline, Marcel's, Michel Richard Citronelle, Clair de-"

"Okay, you caught me, there are a lot, so you can stop now. But I'm sure you've heard of this place before, but never been there. It's like any authentic restaurant out there, charging big bucks for breadsticks that don't fill you up. You would have never visited it any other way."

"So what makes you think I'll like it?"

"The food is to die for, and I'm paying for it." Shifting gears, he blew past two more trucks, teasing with ninety on the speed dial.

Sakura looked out her window and noticed that they were heading away from the city, which was where most of the restaurants really were. Out in the hills, as she liked to call the country part of Iwa, there wasn't a whole lot to look for. That and it was late in afternoon, four thirty eight-last she checked. What could be out there at this hour? By this time in the day, everyone was flooding out of the city, creating rush hour.

"Is it much farther, Sasori?" she asked.

"Not much. We'll be there in fifteen minuets."

She smorked, looking over at the speed dial. "So that really means ten minuets, with they way you drive?"

"More or less."

Frowning, Sakura turned away from the dashing red head to gaze out her window at all the passing trees and-wait, were they pulling off here? There wasn't anything at this exit that remotely resembled a French resturant except for-

"Holy shit! You're taking me to L'Auberge Chez Francois?!"

"And I was hoping we could make it to the parking lot before you blew up like this. That's fine though," he said, taking his eyes off the road to take in her expression. Her cheeks were flustered with red and her mouth hung open. Her eyes could have been as big as dinner plates that were so wide with wonder. She looked so adorable, he couldn't help but want to take her into his arms at that very moment. Too bad he was driving.

"The road!" Sakura screamed, jerking the steering wheel towards her to narrowly avoid trading pain with an oncoming car. "Cheez, watch where we're going, I don't want to die before I eat at the world's most expensive restaurant. Damn, how do you hook up in a gig like that on such short notice. Who did you kill?"

"Oh please, darling, you exaggerate. I simply did some work for the owner and he seemed to like it so much I became one of his inner circle friends. Those type of friends can git a meal at his restaurant any day." He stole one more look over at her before returning his eyes to the road. "But I'm curious... why would you think I killed someone?"

"O-oh, no reason." Sakura blushed, and cast her eyes down to her hands, watching as the played with one another.

She was getting fidgety, going to such an upscale place. She wasn't dressed nicely enough and she would probably end up opening her mouth and saying something vulgar and that would embarrass Sasori and-holy crap this looked like a date! She knew it wasn't a date, and she knew Sasori didn't think it was a date, since it was all so last minuet, but that's what it would look like and people would think they were together and-why did this make her so light. The two of them as a couple didn't look so bad, but it didn't look possible either.

Sakura looked up at Sasori and watched as the heat coming from the vents tossed around the loose tresses of wine red that hadn't been pulled back into the pony tail he had donned for such an evening. She couldn't help but describe it as messy, even though that made him so much more handsome than when it was all pulled back, like the few times she had seen it that way. She knew she shouldn't let her thoughts run away like this, but he looked so exotic.

He caught her staring at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled rakishly, causing her face to heat up. Thank God they were already there, since she didn't think she could take much more of this car ride. "What? admiring my handsomely good look now, are we?" he teased, not knowing how on target he was.

"W-what? No way. I'm still a little dazed by the fact that you have such high connections. Don't get too full of yourself, she said, turning to look away from him, not trusting her face to follow through with the lie.

Sasori got out first and doubled around to get to her door and open it for her before she could get out of her seatbelt. He took her hand and led her down the path to the elegant looking three story restaurant that was lit up with fairy lights all outside. A valet came up and caught the keys Sasori tossed him.

"Swanky," she breathed to herself, causing Sasori to laugh, having overheard that.

"Yeah, I guess it beats beer in the play parks, doesn't it?" Sakura lightly smack his shoulder and he just laughed louder.

There was someone at the front door to hold it open for them and sudden;y it was as if Sakura had stepped into a fairy-tale home, one that was in no way humble, yet at the same time, it wasn't exactly a castle. They were standing on a marble covered landing that stood three steeps higher than the rest of the lobby, before dipping another three steps into a large open room that looked like a ballroom filled with tables. There were fairy lights handing from the ceiling and snaking down the walls where carvings of flowers and grapes stood out.

The couples that sat dining were all finely dress, making Sakura feel small in her simple cocktail number. It was the only fancy thing she still owned. Sure when she used to live with her parents she was expected to attend so many high collar social events and if she was anything less than perfect it was the back of the hand for her. She winced, inwardly at the memory.

"Sir?" A man came up and greeted them with a guest booklet in hand, asking if they had a reservation. Sakura panicked, knowing that Sasori came here on the fly and had none. Would he really be able to get them into such a fine establishment on such short notice?

"Get me Francois, I have business with him," Sasori replied, calm and cool as ever.

The waiter looked amused. "I am sorry sir but Mr. Francois has left spacific instructions not to be-"

"Not to be bothered, I know. Tell him Sasori is here and he will come." The waiter looked ready to argue once more, but Sasori cut him a death glare and ended the argument before it could begin. The frightened male rushed off to find his boss and flea from the eyes of crimson death faster than Sakura though possible for a short man like him.

The two of them stood there in silence, waiting when suddenly from far in the back the little man looked to have been thrown out into the hallway, his toupee falling off in a crooked manner. After him, a large blond man with a neatly trimmed goatee came storming down the hall. He looked like the owner of this place by the way he was dressed and he seemed pissed. Sakura though the worse once she saw his expression, but her fears were ill placed with Francois stopped in front of Sasori and broke into a brigh smile, taking the red head by the hand and shaking it wildly before pulling him into a hug.

"Sasori! Damn you old friend, why have you not stopped by recently. It's been months."

"Francois, my old friend, it's always a warm welcome from you, isn't it? How have you been?" Sasori replied, hugging back before pulling away.

"Fine, fine, never better I suppose, and you?"Francois asked, looking over at Sakura and grinning. "You look to be enjoying yourself. You never bring women with you other than your grandmother." The golden haired man then turned to Sakura and took her hand in his to kiss it. "A pleassure my lady. I am, as you should now know, Francois and this is my humble trésor. I pray you feel welcome."

"Thank you, everything looks amazing here, and from what I've been hearing from Sasori, the food is to die for," she replied, reverting back to when she was sixteen and under the heel of her parents. It was a natural reaction she really couldn't control.

"Francois, would you happen o have a box upstairs we could use for dinner?" Sasori asked breaking into the conversation.

The blond man looked devious once he heard the request. "A privet box you say? Well of course I have one for the man who I owe everything to, Hato will show you the way to my privet box. I hope you enjoy your dinner."

"We will, thank you." Sasori placed a hand over Sakura's lower back and led her down the hallway towards the elevator, turning his head to look back at his friend. Francois mouth 'Is she the one' silently and Sasori nodded before mouthing a 'yes' back.

The couple were about to steep into the elevator when it opened up on them, allowing an older man to walk out with a stumbling woman hanging onto his arm. She looked to be twenty years younger than him, and was dresses like she was ready to throw off everything in a second's notice. Sakura would have glared at the couple had she not been utterly startled out of her wits when her eyes met the man's.

"Sakura?"

"D-dad?"

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-

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There's going to anywhere from _six_ to five chapters before I finish this so it's not _that_ bad. The next chapter-already written- will be up soon if you review. Yes, I am threatening you.

Thanks for reading, and as always....**_REVIEW_**

Vesper chan


	5. Uh oh

**The Madness and the Cure**...

_Pairings_: SasoriSakura with a bit of SakuraDeidara  
_Disclaimer_: I don't own Naruto, but it owns me.  
_Dedication_:Gigicerisier  
_Warning_:No on will be in character, so if you actually prefer that, you are free to read the manga. You should know me better than that by now.  
_Full summery:_ She comes home from work to an apartment that smells of and booze. Paint brushes clutter the sink in place of dirty dishes and no one seems to spend any time on anything other than art. He works with clay, bring life to the dirt, she writes her art, and he carves it. They were called mad by society because they were artists. What society didn't know was that they were already mad, and that their art was the only thing that kept them sane.

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**Imagination does not breed insanity.  
Exactly what does breed insanity is reason.  
Poets do not go mad; but chess players do.  
Mathematics go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom.**

**-G.K. Chesterton**

The older man looked up, mildly amuse and mostly sober. After so many years indulging in fine drink it took a lot more to chase away his sanity. "What a surprise, to see you here of all places. It seems you _were_ able to take care of yourself after all." He looked Sasori up and down, smirking when he saw the red head steep closer to Sakura. "I suppose you are using protection. It would be even more of a scandal if I'm saddled with a grandchild."

Sakura turned red in anger, and took an aggressive steep in his direction. "That's just like you to assume I'm sleeping around with anything that breaths, just like you do. It never crossed you mind that I might actually be able to take care of myself without whoring myself out, did it? Sorry, but I'm not too into the faceless sex scene you and mom were all over. Speaking of the skank, she's probably nearby, isn't she?"

"Mmm, she should be here, downstairs with her boy toys. It's about time we headed out," he replied, looking over his daughter's head with a lazy eye as his date giggled and hugged his side even more, too far drunk to process the happenings around her.

"Don't you think that's sort of dangerous?"

"Not if we stay together, so long as no one peeps, aren't I right?"

Sakura growled under her breath and looked away, feeling snakes coil around her spine and spiders crawl underneath her skin from meeting his eyes for too long. "You don't have to worry about me blabbing to the media, even though that would be a good idea. I've had enough of you to get mixed up in that sort of thing."

"Very well," he sighed, taking a sip from the glass of wine that was in his hand while he helped hold up his 'date' with the other. "If you contact our secretary and tell her who you are, she'll be sure to send you something in the mail once you disclose your new address."

"I don't want your bribes. You can keep your filthy money. I can stand on my own without your help, believe it or not."

"Suite yourself," he sighed, walking past them, dragging his whore along. "Still, my offer would stand if all you did was deny yourself to be a biological mistake between me and your mother. Come along now Ami, we're heading back to the loft."

Sasori watched the pair leave, his eyes narrowed in disgust as the man that was partly responsible for bring Sakura into this world walked away as if she was nothing more than a piece of dust he needed to brush off the sleeve of his suite. How could someone look at their own daughter like that? Oh yeah, he was a politician, it was in his nature, Sasori supposed.

"Sakura," he whispered, throwing an arm around her shoulders, knowing that at any other time she wold have shrugged him off, being in public and all. He was glad, but also worried, when she didn't flinch at the contact.

He guided her over to the elevator and stepped in, letting Francois follow in after them. He sent the couple a sympathetic glance, before hitting the number 2 button. The third floor was the roof and only used in the summer time when it was warm enough.

The pair were soon led to a privet room with a small table surrounded on three sides by a connected bench with red silk cushions and fresh greenery behind their heads. Francois was quick to leave the menus and depart, saying that a waiter would come when they called for one. He obviously knew when a couple wanted to be a lone and he knew even better when a couple needed to be alone. The latter was defiantly true for Sasori and Sakura.

"I'm sorry," Sakura finally breathed, reaching up to brush a few loose hanging bangs out of her face. "I'm bringing down the mood aren't I?"

"I should think you have a right to after the verbal abuse you were forced to suffer through. Don't apologize for what you are feeling now."

"Well, that and the mistake my father made about you. Sorry if that made you feel awkward. I can't believe he would say something like that," Sakura chuckled, scratching the side of her cheek in a mousy like way.

Sasori looking down at the white table cloth and then over at Sakura was already so close to him in the booth. He felt the pit of his stomach heat up with feelings once more and had to force his eyes to move away, least his body act out on it's own and do something he would later regret. "I didn't mind that," he answered, his level tone betraying none of the bubbling emotions that existed beneath the surface of appearances.

Sakura looked up at him and smiled a small pathetic excuse of a smile. "Thanks, I feel like that's all I've been saying lately. I wanted to be able to rely on myself more but I just end up burdening others and making it difficult for them." Sasori oppened his mouth to say something back to her but she beat him to it, grabbing her menu and exclaiming. "Wow, look at all the swanky grub they got at this place. I have no idea what I'm going to order. Are you driving home, cause if you are I'll order some wine."

"Order whatever you want. I'll drive so you can have the wine."

"Sucks to be you then, cause I'm going with the wine."

"Sakura..." She didn't look up at him. "Are you okay?"

She turned to him with masked eyes and streached a smile. "Of course I'm okay. What? You thought I was bugging just cause I ran into my dad? Seriously, I'm way past that drama. It's all in the past, now. Come on cheer up, don't be so gloomy and order something will ya?"

His plans for romancing her until she was completely his withered in his breast. Right now all he wanted to do was hold her and comfort her. She was fighting herself, he could tell. She was not genuine even if her acting was good he could tell right away that she was holding up a mask for him to see. He didn't want that mask, he wanted her.

"Sakura."

She didn't look at him, but held her menu up further.

"Sakura." He tried again, this time reaching out to put his hand over her own as she held up that blasted menu. "Look at me."

She closed her eyes and turned away so he pulled her face towards his with his free hand and she followed weightlessly, as if she were a balloon. She was giving up and seeing that in her eyes broke his spirit. He pressed her face to his breast and hugged her tightly.

He held her like that for a while before she said something into his shirt.

"I don't think they've ever loved me. Not even when I was a child...if your own parents can't even love you in this world than who can?"

Sasori kissed the top of her head. "Let me show you."

Her lips were his, and his fate was hers. They shared eternity together in a moment that spanned all of time.

.

.

.

And he was definitely driven mad by logic,  
By the ugly and alien logic of predestination.  
Poetry was not the disease, but the medicine;  
Poetry partly kept him in health. -G.K. Chesterton

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**Author's Note:**

Please...don't kill me. I need to live long enough to own my own library.

Yes, it just stops and leaves you. I don't know what happened, but somewhere along the way this sort of died inside me. I had it all planned out and then the plans turned sour and I didn't like what I had and I couldn't write it anymore and then I felt bad...still do if anyone cares to know. I always thought that maybe one day I would finish this but I guess this is what I have to live with. There are some other major changes I will be going through on this site so keep your eyes open if you want to know what I'm doing with my other stories.

Thanks for reading, and as always...**_REVIEW_**

-Vesper chan


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